Conversations with an Older Man
by Mei2
Summary: Dawn meets an older man.  #3 in "The Life and Times of Dawn Summers, College Student".
1. Chapter 1

Title: Conversations with an Older Man

Category: BTVS/Highlander crossover

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the demented plot. All BTVS characters belong to Joss Whedon, etc. All Highlander characters belong to Davis Panzer Productions, etc.

Author Notes:

1) Sequel to _Three Men and a Key_.

2) Richie didn't die.

3) This series is set two years after BTVS series finale. The BTVS part is an alternate universe with minor supporting characters of my own creation (but they're very friendly).

4) There is a bit of violence (but no worse than what you see on either show).

5) My apologies for the formatting of the previous two stories. When I originally posted them, the formatting went goofy for some reason. I have since discovered the horizontal rule to replace my dividers that identify changes of scene and point of view. I also reposted the chapters of the previous stories with the new and (hopefully) improved formatting. Thank you for your patience.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

Methos opened the door then entered the room. "Honey, I'm home."

His friend glanced up. "Well, look who's back."

"Hey, Joe," Methos greeted as the other man enveloped him in a backslapping hug.

"Been in town long?" Joe asked as they walked toward the bar.

"Just got in," Methos said easing onto a barstool.

"What can I get you?"

"The usual," Methos replied and surveyed the room. Of all the places in the world, Joe's was one of his favorites. Good friends, good music and good beer.

He watched as a young woman came through the door. The lighting was such that for a brief moment he thought it was Alexa, a woman he had fallen deeply in love with only months before she died. He let out a breath as she strode to the bar.

"Hi, Joe," she said shrugging off her coat and hanging it on a hook.

"Hey, Dawn," Joe returned. "How was school?"

"I just finished watching Ingmar Bergman's _The Seventh Seal_ for film history," she said reaching for a tray and an order pad. "I need some blues to cheer me up."

"What did you think of the film?" Methos asked.

"I'm never going to look at chess in quite the same way again," she replied.

"Dawn, this is an old friend-," Joe began.

"-Adam Pierson," Methos finished using his most recent alias.

"Dawn Summers. Nice to meet you," she said shaking his hand then noticed some customers. "I better get to work."

Methos watched her go.

"Don't get any ideas," Joe warned. "She's not your type."

"Why do you always say that?" Methos asked turning to his friend then regarded him with a speculative look. "Why Joseph Dawson, you old matchmaker. Who do you have in mind? MacLeod?"

"No," Joe said wiping down the bar. "Dawn's one of his students at the university."

"Well, if it's not MacLeod and it's not me, it must be Richie," Methos deduced and took a sip of beer. "How does he feel about her?"

"He likes her, and I think she likes him, but they both seem to be nervous about going beyond friendship. I'm just going to let nature take its course. I'm not going to interfere and neither are you."

"You're no fun," Methos said. "So where's Romeo?"

"Richie's in a race in Portland for a few days."

"So tell me about our Juliet."

"Dawn's a freshman at the university and just started waitressing here about three weeks ago."

"She from Seacouver?"

"No, some town just north of LA," Joe said. "Sunnydale."

"Sunnydale?" Methos asked his eyes suddenly riveted on Dawn.

* * *

><p>~ Alta California, 1812 ~<p>

"Boca del Infierno," the monk whispered in awe.

Mouth of hell, Methos thought, an apt description.

A huge earthquake had hit only hours before. Methos and Brother Franco watched helplessly as the mission sank into the ground. Most of the other structures including the nearby Chumash village were on fire, and tremors still rocked the area. They tried to tend to the injured, but there were so many people.

Then darkness fell.

He first saw them walking boldly through the smoke. When a soldier came up to them, a member of the group punched the man sending him spinning to the ground. The attacker grabbed the soldier by the hair, pulled him to his knees then ripped out his throat and fed.

"Vampires," Methos muttered then yelled to the monk. "Take as many people with you as you can and get out of here."

"What about you?" he protested.

"I'll be fine, just go," Methos said pushing the man away.

Terrified, Brother Franco yelled for everyone to run then left himself.

Methos looked at those who were too injured to leave. Poor wretches are lined up like a bloody feast, he thought with resignation then drew out his sword.

To the vampires' surprise, he easily beheaded the first attacker. Methos cut down three more before he was overwhelmed. His head was wrenched back and he felt teeth tear into his neck. His eyes slowly drifted closed as he gave into oblivion.

* * *

><p>"You okay?" Joe asked.<p>

"Yeah," Methos replied rubbing his neck. "Just jetlag."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

She knew she really shouldn't be here especially with the meager remnants of her first paycheck in her wallet, but anyone who knew her well wouldn't have been surprised in the least. Bookmarks was a large local bookstore that she fell in love with once she moved to Seacouver. Whenever she felt a little down, she'd come here and browse for an hour or so.

She was standing in front of several bookcases containing diaries, journals and notebooks. They were her not-so-secret passion. When she wasn't reading books, she was writing in them. Xander called her collection the Dawnmeister Chronicles. She had just finished filling another volume and needed a new one.

There was a dazzling array of choices. Some were big, some small; some were trendy, some classic. She always got a kick out of the covers. There were pictures of kittens, puppies, smiley faces, cars, landscapes and pop art. Some had pithy sayings, and others had words of wisdom.

One in particular caught her eye. It was a picture of three women dressed in filmy gowns. They were holding hands and dancing barefoot in a circle. It was a part of a larger painting that had been one of Tara's favorites. She picked up the journal and thought of the shy blond who had died several years ago.

"_Primavera_."

Startled, Dawn spun and found a vaguely familiar man in a trench coat. "Excuse me?"

He gestured to the cover. "The Three Graces from Botticelli's _Primavera_."

"Oh, yeah," she said. "Umm..."

"Adam Pierson," he said. "We met at Joe's?"

"Right," Dawn remembered. "I almost didn't recognize you without the blues music and the dim lighting."

"I was just about to have some coffee," he said. "Would you care to join me? My treat?"

Dawn thought for a moment then said, "Sure. Thanks." 

* * *

><p>Freshly Brewed, a trendy little place, was attached to the bookstore. The rich aroma of coffee filled the air. Display cases housed sumptuous snacks and delectable desserts. The expresso machine shrieked happily in the corner as the employees called out orders.<p>

Methos ordered an expresso for himself and a brownie for each of them. He was surprised when she requested some chai tea. They were able to get a table by the window.

"I thought university students lived on frappacinos and lattes," he said taking a sip of his expresso.

"Most do," Dawn admitted, "but tea is a comfort drink for me especially when I can get it in a proper pot."

"That's a bit unusual."

"Grew up with several tea drinkers."

"Where was that?" Methos asked nonchalantly.

"Most recently, Hope Springs, Nevada," she replied.

"Oh, I thought Joe mentioned someplace in California."

"Sunnydale?" Dawn asked. "We lived there until I was 16. It was destroyed by a very localized earthquake. We weren't home at the time."

"Then Hope Springs?"

"Well actually, Cleveland then Hope Springs," she said pouring herself some tea.

"Cleveland?"

"Yeah, my sister's job took us there."

"Job?"

"She was into extermination," Dawn answered sipping her tea. "There was a big pest problem."

"How'd you end up in Nevada?"

"A family friend knew of a motel that was for sale there. Buffy decided to give it a go."

"Buffy?"

"My sister."

Methos looked at her over the rim of his raised cup. "Seriously?"

Dawn nodded shrugging her shoulders. "I figure I got off lucky."

"So what brought you to Seacouver?"

"A scholarship," she admitted. "Plus UWS is a good school."

"Have you decided on a major yet?"

"I'm leaning toward either journalism or history."

"As Geoffrey C. Ward once said, 'journalism is merely history's first draft.' I was a history major myself."

Dawn's face lit up. "Really? Where did you go to school?"

"Paris," Methos replied vaguely.

"Wow," she sighed dreamily and began peppering him with questions about his time at university and living in Europe. After awhile she changed the topic. "Joe said you just got back from a trip. Where did you go?"

"Asia. Had a craving for some authentic Chinese food," Methos said and told her about his travels.

Twenty minutes later, they left the coffeehouse. There was a little mist in the air.

"Can I give you a lift somewhere?" Methos asked.

"No, but thanks," Dawn said. "My bus'll be here any minute."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

It was 9:45pm by the time Dawn trudged back to her dorm after doing some research at the University's main library. As she passed Jade's room, she could hear the Barenaked Ladies playing.

Simon must be over, Dawn grinned as she entered her own room. She listened to the music as she changed.

_ "I met you before the fall of Rome,_

_ And I begged you to let me take you home._

_ You were wrong, I was right._

_ You said goodbye, I said goodnight_

_ Woo-woo-woo!"  
><em>

Dawn went to her desk, pulled out her new diary and removed the cellophane wrapper. The spine gently cracked as she opened the book. She always got a little thrill when looking at the pristine first page of a new journal. She picked up her pen and began:

~ Dear Diary,

I love starting a new book. Lots of stuff to write about today.

School's fine. Have a couple of tests next week, but they should go okay (at least I hope so).

We've started practicing for the benefit concert. I still can't believe Jade convinced me to sing back-up with her in Simon's soul band. It's kinda fun (at least we haven't spontaneously combusted or anything). Simon's been obsessed with the music from 'The Commitments' ever since we saw it at the revival theater, and our repertoire reflects this. So far, we've practiced 'Mustang Sally', 'Chain of Fools', 'Try A Little Tenderness' and 'Treat Her Right'.

Got an e-mail from Andrew. He's still working on the Sunnydale version of Monopoly. Xander's making game pieces like tiny stakes, mini bottles of holy water, crossbows and headstones. Andrew keeps trying to convince him to make little gargoyles. Other than that, things are still quiet in Hope Springs, which is making Buffy antsy.

Things in Cleveland, on the other hand, are hopping. Faith will be entering her second trimester soon. It's really going to hit the fan once word gets out to the vamps and demons. Still, you'd have to be nuts to take on a slayer with surging hormones, an overprotective father with mother issues, a witch who almost destroyed the world and a dozen slayers and watchers-in-training.

I'm starting to think up baby names and since I'm over 2,000 miles away (so it's harder for Faith to hurt me), I suggest the following:

If it's a girl: Hope, Joy, Charity or Grace

If it's a boy: Damien, Abraham (after the vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing), Hal (_2001: A Space Odyssey_), Hannibal (after the African general), Daryl (_The Witches of Eastwick_) or John (since the baby's father is Robin Wood which always reminded me of Robin Hood hence Little John)

Work is good. Joe is a great boss, and I'm really beginning to appreciate the blues. I got my first paycheck. It's nice to have my own money. I celebrated by buying myself this new diary and the latest Carolyn Marsh romance novel. What can I say? I'm a wild woman.

I met this guy at the bookstore. His name's Adam Pierson, and he's a friend of Joe's. We had a nice conversation over coffee (well, I had tea). He reminds me of Spike. I'm not sure if it's his build, complexion, accent, cheekbones or sense of humor. It would be interesting to see them together; that is if Spike actually interacted well with others.

I dusted a vamp on the way home from the library. There's a bit of vampire activity in Seacouver but nowhere near the amount found on a hellmouth. I'm glad I haven't lost my touch. ~

* * *

><p>Tenting his fingers, Methos contemplated the situation. He took a deep breath, opened his latest journal and picked up his pen. Deciding a certain amount of discretion was in order, he wrote the entry in the mirror-writing he had taught Leonardo da Vinci over 500 years ago.<p>

~ I have finished my background check of Dawn Summers.

Initial searching revealed little. She spent her junior year of high school in Cleveland then did her senior year in Hope Springs, Nevada. She was an excellent student and was awarded a full scholarship to the University of Washington, Seacouver.

On the surface, a relatively ordinary existence. Things get more intriguing once one realizes that both of these places are over top of hellmouths.

Dawn grew up in Sunnydale, California, the site of the most active hellmouth in North America (see journal entry: Alta California, 1812). I couldn't find any records of her time here. This is likely due to the fact that Sunnydale no longer exists. Dawn's explanation of an extremely localized earthquake is supported by news reports. How it was destroyed isn't quite as interesting as why. According to more alternative sources, there was an intense battle that resulted in the hellmouth being sealed. This would also explain why there has been increased demonic activity in Cleveland and Hope Springs.

I 'ran into' Dawn at a bookstore downtown. We had a nice conversation over coffee (well, she had tea). I offered her a ride home, but she politely declined and took the bus back to the university. I followed her (discreetly, of course) and watched as she staked a vampire on her way from a campus library.

Given her actions, I began to wonder if there was even more to Dawn than I had suspected. Further research has revealed that her sister, Buffy, is a vampire slayer.

I originally started this to find out how a young woman could survive living on three hellmouths. I have since discovered that Dawn Summers is an attractive, intelligent woman, and I have to agree with Joe that Dawn and Richie would be well suited. I only hope that if they do get together, they'll be able to overcome their respective secrets. ~

The End

Author's Note: The song lyrics are from "It's All Been Done" by the Barenaked Ladies. Thank you to everyone who has marked this story in the favourites. More to come.


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